Return to Earth
by Romantic Twist
Summary: The Spindrift crew have their final adventure, the one which enables them to return to their home planet Earth.
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

It had been over two years now. The crew of the sub-orbital spaceship Spindrift had passed through a space warp and crash landed in a giant land, where everyone and everything was hugely proportional in comparison to the sizes of their earth counterparts.

There was a team of seven survivors: the ship's captain Steve Burton, its co-pilot Dan Ericcson, an engineer named Mark Wilson, a criminal on the run named Alexander Fitzhugh, the ship's stewardess Betty Hamilton, a jet setting socialite named Valerie Scott and a young boy named Barry Lockridge. His dog Chipper had also joined him on the flight and was now stranded in the giant land with his youthful master.

In the two years which ensued, they had barely escaped a number of adventures with their lives. There had been other earthlings who had found their way into the giant land: Marna Whalan, Nick's Lost Ones, Major Kagen and some time travellers. All had ultimately gone their own way, leaving the seven Spindrift people still stranded in a world where they were only the size of the smallest dolls.

Tensions were mounting between the team. From the time they crashed, Steve Burton had assumed the leadership of the team by virtue of his captaincy. However, he had been either openly challenged by Mark Wilson or underhandedly defied by Fitzhugh or Valerie on many occasions.

Now several months had passed them by and there had been no incidents involving capture by giants, since the evil twins had used the Servo-Actuator in an attempt to serve their own evil ends. The seven visitors from earth were meeting in their base camp for a discussion which would turn things around forever.

"We've played it your way long enough, Steve!" said Mark, "All your precautions haven't kept us from nearly getting killed, and have done nothing to get us home."

"Half the dangers we've faced have been the direct result of half of you disobeying my orders," said Steve.

"Orders. For crying out loud. You're a pilot, not a policeman, not a military commander, not even a town mayor. You've been deciding for us long enough."

"Then what do you suggest?" asked Steve.

"Put it to a vote," said Mark, recalling the number of times they had exchanged blows during heated moments.

"You want us to vote for a choice of leadership between you and me," said Steve.

"No. Vote on whether we continue operating under a leader at all."

"Alright. Have your vote. Look where mutiny got you with Dr Franzen."

"He was innocent. He was played by an opportunist named Logar, who betrayed him and us to S.I.D. Inspector Kobick," said Mark, "Now let's vote."

Valerie voted against Steve. It was predictable. She had subtly become romantically involved with Mark during the second year of their time in the giant world.

Fitzhugh, being used to defying authority, also voted against it.

Barry recalled two times when Steve had been unwilling to act, when Chipper had been in trouble and voted against him now.

Dan, Steve's oldest friend predicably voted in Steve's favour.

Mark's and Steve's votes were already known.

Betty voted for Steve.

"Don't ask Barry to vote as well. Don't make the boy choose," said Fitzhugh, who had formed a special friendship with the lad, which brought out the few selfless deeds he had ever committed in his life, "He can't influence the outcome now. It's 4 to 2 now. Whether it's 5 to 2 or 4 to 3, Mark's made his point."

"If he thought Chipper counted when he needed us, Steve would have both our votes now," thought Barry.

"Alright," sighed Steve, "So what do we do differently?"

"We use some of the friends we've made, some of the giants who are grateful to us, some of the opportunities we've let pass by," said Fitzhugh, surprising them with his sudden contribution to the discussion, "Surely we could ask Mr & Mrs Farrer, Jody, Inidu, Professor Kerlitz and maybe some others to help us."

"Surely not both Inidu and Kerlitz," said Dan, "Both designed the means of teleportation. One used magic tricks. The other used science. Both were on the run from the law. And somehow I couldn't picture the two of them teaming up to help us. They both have the same persona. They wouldn't make room for each other."

"Fitzhugh's right," said Mark, "Many of the giants are untrustworthy, but some have already proved their moral integrity. We need to team up with them."

"It could just work," said Valerie.

"At the very least, it would give us a real chance at getting the equipment and materials we need to get the spaceship up and running. Then it's a simple matter to fly off this world. Even if we don't find the space warp, we could make it to another planet, where people may well be our size," said Mark, "I've got an idea. Steve, are you still willing to help us, if we go with my plans?"

"I'll consider it," said Steve.

"OK. Here's the deal. Steve would go to the Farrer's house and ask one of them to take him to the town of Elops to visit the giant scientist boy Jody and ask him for some of his enlarging and reducing pills. I'll stay normal sized to work on the ship. Some of you can enlarge and help us as fake giants. Combining that with the undetectable nature of those of you who remain small, we should be able to get everything we need in no time and repair the ship and get off this world. What do you say, Steve?"

"I guess the Farrers will always be grateful that we saved their kids," said Steve, "And Jody was always our friend."

"I'm surprised we never thought of this before," said Betty.

"We never got the chance. We were always on the run from this giant or that giant. Things have been quiet lately, and we need to take advantage of it," said Mark, "OK. Steve, you and Dan go look up their address. Steve, you go see them. Dan came go to the edge of the garden and report back to us with the address in case anything goes wrong. Steve, if you get to Jody, come back with a good supply of both formulas, so that we can change a few people's size both ways if need be. You're the best choice. You're known to Jody from when he enlarged you to giant size. You're also one of the two of us most directly involved in the rescue of the Farrer children. We'll work it from there."

Steve and Dan snuck into the nearest house and struggled to turn the pages of a telephone book, a few dozen at a time, until they found the Farrers' address.

They began the long walk to the giant property. It was a huge mansion. They were obviously wealthy.

"I'll wait in the garden at the front of the place," said Dan.

Steve walked over, picking up fallen twigs on the way.

He stood on the door step and threw the twigs up to the bell, until a direct hit made it ring at least loud enough to be heard by the residents.

The door opened, and Mrs Farrer stood in front of him.

"One of the little people. Aren't you one of the two who saved Lida and Teddy," she asked.

"Yes, I'm Captain Steve Burton, and your husband stopped Kobick's men from grabbing us."

"Late husband," she said, "You'd better come in."

She knelt down and picked Steve up and took him inside, closing the door. She sat at a table and placed Steve in front of her.

"I'm very sorry," said Steve, "What happened?"

"Kobick and his Sergeant both made reports about the incident. My husband was arrested for aiding Little People. He was taken to the S.I.D. prison. He was shot, when he tried to break out."

"I shouldn't have come here," said Steve, "I was going to ask your help, but helping us has cost you enough already."

"You did save my children, and you must resent Kobick almost as much as I do. I'll help you for those reasons only. What did you want me to do?"

"I have a friend, a boy who actually invented a formula to enlarge us to giant size and then an antidote to reduce us later. With some of us enlarged, we could get away from Kobick once and for all. He lives in another town called Elops. We could never hope to reach him, now that he's moved away from here. You could travel there, with me."

"I'll do it on one condition," said Mrs Farrer, "Shrink Kobick. It would be exactly what he deserves, to become the very thing he hunted, to become the very embodiment of the reason he contributed to my husband's death. Drug his drink with the antidote, and leave him your size forever."

Steve actually smiled at the irony. It would also get the SID's best man off the backs of all earthlings forever.

"We'll do it," he said.

"I'll have to gather the children and head for the station. You can ride in my handbag," she said, and gently placed Steve into it.

Steve was suddenly aware of something totally irrelevant to their mission. He liked the feel of the giant widow's hand. She was around ten years older than him and very pretty. Yet his escape from Kobick had once led to the death of her husband. He would not presume too much on her. He would just get his team back to earth.

His team?

It was more Mark's team now. But maybe this bold new approach would work, and then any leadership concept would be obsolete.

Mrs Farrer closed her handbag, and Steve heard her calling the children to come down from upstairs.

She walked them to the station and bought their tickets.

Steve smiled at the irony that his journey would be free. It was a guaranteed way to get away with fare evasion. He assumed she would not tell her children about him, lest they let the information slip to anyone who might turn them in to the SID.

When the train finally pulled into Elops, Mrs Farrer found a telephone book and looked up Jody's address. She took Steve to his apartment and knocked on the door.

Jody opened the door to her.

"Madam?"

He did not recognize her.

"I'm a friend of Steve Burton. Do you mind if I leave the children in the lounge room and talk to you in another room?"

"I guess it would be alright," said Jody, and led her into his home laboratory room.

"I'm Mrs Farrer, and I believe you know Steve," she said, opening her handbag.

"Captain Burton!" said Jody.

"Hi Jody. It's been a long time. We desperately need your help. Could you make some more of your formulae, both of them?"

"I guess so."

Soon Mrs Farrer had returned home, called a babysitter for the children, who had been frequently sympathetic to her single motherhood for a while, and was walking Steve and the pills through the forest.

As they got to the ship, she lowered Steve down, and took the formulae out of her bag.

Steve called the others out.

"Did you get it?" asked Barry.

"Yes."

"So who wants to be giants?" asked Mark.

"Not me," said Steve, "I've done it before."

"That wouldn't put me off," said Fitzhugh.

"No, but you're not to be trusted. Look at the trouble you got us in last time," said Mark.

"I guess then men should stay small. That way we can break into places easily and work on the ship with Mark," said Dan.

"I'd love to be a giant until we leave," said Valerie, "How about you, Betty?"

"It could be fun," said the pretty stewardess.

Something about the thought of these ladies becoming giants began to please Barry. He had developed crushes on both of them. His attachment to Betty was stronger, as she had offered to take the young orphan home with her, when they had been on the flight, which had brought them here.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

"It's a good choice," said Mrs Farrer, "I gave my husband's clothes away, but I have plenty of dresses you could borrow at my size. Why don't you stay with me? We could hide your ship in my bedroom and you could work on it undisturbed."

Steve didn't even question this. Logic told him that the forest would be frequently searched for their base camp. Mrs Farrer's bedroom wouldn't. But was that all it was? What had removed all his usual precautions? Not just Mark's challenge to his former authority. Steve suddenly realised he had led a giantess directly to their camp, in breach of all his own old rules. Steve faced the facts: He was in love with the giant widow. Should he enlarge again? No. All the more reason to stay small, so that she did not feel threatened by him. Apart from that, both Steve and Fitzhugh had been seen by Kobick at their temporary giant size. He could recognize them. They must remain small.

All of the earthlings climbed into the ship. Mrs Farrer was confident that the children would now be in bed.

She carried the ship to her back garden, and left it there while she paid and farewelled the babysitter. Then she carried the ship and its seven people into her bedroom and positioned it on the carpet.

She took Betty and Valerie and two enlargement doses into the next room, and left them on the floor along with two dresses.

She closed the door.

Soon the male earthlings were treated to the sight of two gigantic familiar friends walking out to stand tall beside Mrs Farrer.

"I've got some spare rooms," said Mrs Farrer, "We'll tell the children that Betty and Valerie are friends of mine, and keep the men hidden."

"Mark can stay in my room," said Valerie.

"I guess I can really adopt you now," said Betty to Barry's delight, picking up the boy and Chipper.

"I have a dolls house with enough rooms for the rest of you," said Mrs Farrer, and picked up the others. She took them all to the dolls house room and furnished them with small versions of all the semi-modern conveniences.

"Captain, could I talk to you some more about our plans? You can stay in my room," said Mrs Farrer.

"Alright," said Steve.

She took him back to her bedroom and set him down on the pillow beside her own.

"Is your world peaceful?" she asked, "I mean: not just free of us giants but also free of the excessive totalitarian government?"

"It's far more democratic. It's hard to know how our people would react if we were visited by aliens who were tiny to us. However, I don't think we'll ever treat each other the way the SID treats your people."

"After what happened to my husband, I don't think this world is the place to raise my children. Could we take that antidote and come with you?"

"Yes, if you're sure it's what you want at the time we leave," said Steve.

"Thank you," she said, and then slowly leaned her head towards him and kissed him.

He blushed.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to take advantage of you," she said, "I've been alone for a year now, and you did save the only family I have left."

"It's alright. In fact it's nice to feel something like this for once," he said, "I've been Captain Burton for so long, I never had the chance to be Steve."  
In the next room, Mark and Valerie were wide awake.

"Valerie, now that we have a real chance to get home and live normal lives, would you marry me?" he asked, "I'm sorry I can't walk into the jewellers and buy you a ring."

"I will," she said.

"Shall we set a date back on earth?" asked Mark.

"We can't do anything else until nightfall tomorrow. Why not have the wedding here, then?" said Valerie mischievously.

The next morning was a school day. They had used the second day of the giant weekend to visit Elops and enlarge the ladies. As soon as the children had left for school, Mark and Valerie announced their plans to get married that very day. Fitzhugh agreed to give the bride away. Dan was best man. Betty was bridesmaid. Steve presided over the wedding.

Mrs Farrer lent them her own engagement ring to use for the wedding ceremony.

They conducted all of the proceedings in her bedroom.

"If anyone has any reason why these two should not be wedded, may he speak now or forever hold his peace," said Steve at the proper time.

There was silence.

"Then I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Valerie brought Mark towards her giant lips and gave him a kiss to remember. Betty recalled Mark's brief affair with Marna Whalan and knew that Mark had not recalled it at all for a long time.

That night they set out on their various missions.

Betty took Barry and Dan to the SID building, and two of them waited outside the vent, while Dan snuck in and found Kobick's office empty. There was only a reading lamp, which he usually left on. Dan climbed the cord to his desk and found an Enella metal detector. He removed the batteries and rolled them out of sight. Then he hid in the battery compartment and peeked out until he saw Kobick enter the room. Kobick worked there for over half an hour before he made himself a coffee. Dan used his radio to contact Barry quietly.

"Time for the diversion," said Barry.

Betty put on the wig that she had borrowed from Mrs Farrer's costume drawer. It disguised her regular short hair, making her enlarged self completely unrecognisable. She entered the building and asked for Inspector Kobick.

He came to see her.

"I think I can help you catch one of the Little People," she said, "I caught one in the forest, when I was on a picnic today. I was bringing him here, when he tricked me and got away in the garden outside this building. With your help we could corner him. Is it worth trying, Inspector?"

"Of course, let's go!" said Kobick, and she led him back out to the garden.

Barry made sure that he eluded both of them for as long as possible, and then let Betty see him, so that she would win Kobick's complete trust by capturing him.

"You won't get away now little boy," said Betty, smiling convincingly as she reached for him.

Barry was convinced of that by the look on her face and the approach of her hand.

"Got you," she said, and noticed that Kobick had walked over to her position, "Here you are, Inspector. I'm sorry he got away before, but I don't have your experience in chasing them."

"Not at all. You've done very well."

"Is that reward still offered on them?"

"Yes Madam. We can discuss it in my office."

"I hope Dan has done his work," she thought, as they took Barry into Kobick's office. Dan was nowhere to be seen.

Kobick offered Betty a coffee.

She watched as he put Barry on the table and then drank his own.

Soon he shrank to the size of an earthling.

Dan stepped out from behind a table leg.

"Looks like the SID has another Little Person in their own building," said Dan, whose subtle humour had been underrated amongst the team for two years.

"What have you done?" said Kobick, "Wait, I know. Burton and the little fat man were both enlarged and later reduced. You've reversed it on me!"

"Well Inspector, you can take your chances with your own officers, and see if the size makes the rank… or you can come with us."

"What will it be Inspector?" said Betty, "I can leave you in the forest or here."

"You! You're one of them. I can see it now. You've pulled this off a second time."

"Let's just take him to the forest," said Dan, "He'll have much less time to wise his troops up to us, whether they help him or cage him. Wait. Get every photo you can from his files first, anything that's small enough to fit in the ship and prove to the people of earth that we've been to a world of giants."

After doing so, Betty scooped them all up and hid them in her dress pocket as she left the office with Kobick, Dan, and Barry. Dan kept Kobick muzzled with his hands, until they were clear of the building. Betty put them all down in the forest and sat down to catch her breath in the moonlight.

"You little!-"

"Old habits die hard, Inspector. From where I sit, you're the little one now," said Betty.

"You were the one who wasn't in the garden. You must have drugged my coffee!" snapped Kobick, his familiar temper now way off the scale, as he swung at Dan.

Dan recalled all the times this man had hunted them and treated them as outlaws and captives, merely because they came from a planet of smaller people.

He gave Kobick a memorable beating and then asked Betty to take them to their base camp (a comment made purely to further mislead Kobick).

Betty stood up and walked off, leaving Kobick to fume at his plight.

"He'd better hope his own people are more considerate of him than they were of us," said Barry.

In the mean time, Mrs Farrer was putting her children to bed, unwilling to hire the babysitter again, while the earthlings were concealed in her house.

Valerie took Mark, Fitzhugh and Steve to the science building. Fitzhugh had no trouble operating the giant lock, to get them inside. Valerie carried all three to each laboratory in turn, until Mark had pointed out everything he needed. She took it all out in her pocket, and Fitzhugh relocked the building.

They returned to Mrs Farrer's mansion and went to sleep again.

In the morning, the children went to school. Mark and Steve and Dan and Fitzhugh went to work, repairing the spaceship under Mark's guidance.

Betty and Mrs Farrer took care of them with food and drinks and giant assistance when needed.

Valerie found Barry alone in Betty's room.

"I find all that scientific and engineering work boring. Would you like to go on a picnic in the forest clearing, where those two scientists captured me and Betty once?" asked Valerie.

"I'll just get changed into the fresh dolls clothes that Mrs Farrer gave me," said Barry.

Valerie left him to it.

Barry grabbed a giant pencil and wrote clumsily on a notepad:

"Valerie invited me on a picnic at the clearing where Valerie and you were once caught by the scientists. We will see the rest of you in time for the blast-off, if the ship's ready of course,

Barry."

He folded it and left it on the floor.

Valerie took him to the clearing, along with a picnic basket.

She took out the blanket and unfolded it on the grass, and sat down.

"What did you pack for lunch?"  
"How about you," she said.

"That's not a nice joke, Miss Scott."

"Mrs Wilson, to you now, and it's not a joke."

"But we've been through so much together. We're friends."

"But you look so tasty, little Barry. I can easily say you were eaten in the forest. I don't have to tell the others that I did the eating."

"You're as naughty as you were when we first landed here! You can't do this!"

Valerie smiled and picked up Barry.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

"Valerie, please don't!"

"You look cute, when you're scared," she said happily.

She suddenly coughed.

Barry adjusted his vision focus, to see that Betty's hands were around Valerie's throat.

"Let him go!" said Betty.

Betty was taller and stronger than Valerie, and had the advantage of having surprised Valerie from behind. She had to release Barry.

Valerie put Barry on the picnic blanket. Betty released her grip, and then pulled Valerie away by her arm. She slapped Valerie. Barry had never seen Betty act anything other than sweetly. He was in awe of the rescue she had just performed, and also still surprised by Valerie's plans. He would be inside her stomach by now, had Betty not presumably read his note and come out to join them.

"I can't believe even you would do this, Val! For the sake of all the adventures and rescues we've shared together, and for Mark, I won't tell what you almost did today. But if you ever come near Barry again, I'll…"

Valerie stood up, and walked back to Mrs Farrer's, leaving them there.

"You poor boy, are you alright?" asked Betty.

"I only went with her to pass the time. I didn't know she would do that."  
Betty folded the blanket up and placed it in the basket and took him back to the house.

The others had finished repairing the ship. Steve and Dan took it for a test flight around the room. It was fuelled to full capacity and performing as though it had just come out of the workshop.

They all slept off the night, and then the Betty and Mrs Farrer's children took their reducing formulae and prepared to board the ship.

Betty held onto a supply of the growth formula, in case Valerie had any more cannibal tendancies to be revealed. Valerie had still not returned. Would she come back in time to leave, or was she plotting a second attempt to eat Barry, or even one of the others?

Valerie soon burst into the house and put he handbag on the floor.

"I revisited some old haunts, places the real giants wouldn't expect me to know about. Look what I found," she said.

Valerie opened her handbag and took out The Lost Ones and Marna Whalan.

"Well Captain, have we got room for five more?"

"Sure. There were several free seats, when we took off. We only had 8 passengers, counting Chipper," said Steve.

Valerie took the antidote and shrank down in the next room, and put on the familiar yellow outfit she had worn in the months leading up to the vote against Steve's leadership.

All of the passengers and crew entered the ship.

"I left the window open, as you asked," said Mrs Farrer, "But wouldn't you have a more effective takeoff from the back lawn?"  
"It'd be too risky. We could be seen reducing those who had to shrink first. We could be seen firing up and taking off. We could be caught. This way, we just head out the window, and we're out of reach before anyone can grab us."

The sun was setting.

Steve began firing up the ship's engines, with Dan at his side.

"You brought your husband's only other girlfriend," said Betty quietly to Valerie.

"It's the least I can do, I guess. Besides, haven't you seen the way Nick and Marna have been looking at each other? I don't know what came over me with Barry."  
"I haven't told the others," said Betty, "But I'd rather not see you again, once we're back on earth."  
"I understand. But I have to apologize to Barry."

Valerie walked quietly away from Betty and took Barry aside.

"I don't know what got into me," she said, "Are we still friends?"

"I guess so. Would you have really eaten me, if Betty hadn't stopped you?"  
"I can't deny it. But I don't think I would, if I had another chance. I guess we'll never know. Some mysteries never get solved, do they?"

Steve and Dan flew the ship in a tight orbit until they came to an unmistakable glowing warp in space.

They let it draw them into it, and found themselves approaching the familiar planet earth.

They landed at L.A. Airport, and the Spindrift crew showed their evidence to their superiors.

"It's incredible," said the Commander.

"Captain Burton, Mr Ericcson, I almost filed a report on you two over two years ago. It was a formal refusal to obey reasonable orders. Does it have anything to do with this giant world? I tore it up when you finally agreed to fly. You said you knew the flight was never going to reach London, and that I wouldn't believe your reasons."

"I don't know how I could have known in advance," said Steve, "I don't remember that incident now, except that Dan and I both had memory lapses we couldn't account for, just before we found ourselves alone in the Spindrift, with a panel opened."

"Well you were right. You've been gone for over two years. We must take these giant photographs to the military authorities."

"I hope we do," said Dan, "Because there's still an active space warp up there, with the potential of drawing anything into it. We have to chart its movements and keep all sky and space traffic away from it. The giants are a very real threat."

Steve and Mark and Dan had all agreed to keep the Farrers' giant origin a secret, passing them off as actual earthlings, to keep them from prying government eyes.

Steve and Mrs Farrer dated for a number of months, and eventually got engaged too. Her children understood the size changing and the move to another planet. They were finally able to form a proper step fatherly attachment to the man who had helped to get them out of the shaft into which they had once fallen. Mrs Farrer had sufficiently disconnected her grief from the earthlings, to be ready to move on into a new future with Steve.

Mark and Valerie enjoyed their life together. Valerie kept her cannibal interlude with Barry from Mark, for fear that she might lose his love, if he found out.

Mark gave Fitzhugh a comfortable desk job in one of his plants, and the Wilsons' combined wealth enabled all of the original seven to live in comfort for the rest of their lives. Betty wondered if Valerie had been simply trying to buy back a broken friendship, but kept her own counsel about the incident in the giant land.

Marna and Nick eventually realised that they were not suited to each other. Marna was gentle, and growing used to the tranquillity of her home planet, having been under the conditioning of the giants for so long. Nick was aggressive by nature, and unable to fit in with the simple peaceful existence Marna had embraced. So they went their separate ways, still glad to share the common joy at being rescued from the giant world.

* * * *

"Put me down, Sergeant! I'm Inspector Kobick! I run SID!"

"I don't know how you Little People thought disguising yourself to look like my boss, but it won't do you a bit of good. You're still Little People. You'll meet your larger doppelganger shortly."

A forest ranger had found Inspector Kobick wandering the forest naked, and taken him to SID headquarters, and handed him over to the desk Sergeant, who was now taking him to his own office.

The Sergeant found the door open, entered the office and saw other officers there. They had been discussing Kobick's disappearance. Kobick had never guessed that the formulae had been invented by a young boy scientist. Nothing he could speculate would ever lead the SID to Jody. Mrs Farrer's involvement was known only to the earthlings. For Kobick, even if he ever got his men to believe him, the trail had gone cold.


End file.
